Under the web-­based application, residents were suppose to register their complaints related to broken roads, defunct streetlights, low­-pressure water supply and sewerage blockage

The failure of the corporation to rectify technical snags and poor execution of the complaints received through the app were among the reasons to shut down the app. (HT Representative Image)

A year after its launch, it is curtains down for the municipal corporation’s much-hyped mobile app-based grievance redressal system.

The application, called Municipal Corporation Citizens Reporting and Mapping Tool (MC CRAMAT), was launched in May last year, through which residents could register their complaints related to broken roads, defunct streetlights, low water supply, sewerage blockage and lack of cleanliness.

The civic body had become fourth after Ludhiana, Mohali and Hoshiarpur to launch the app.

However, the failure of the corporation to rectify technical snags and poor execution of the complaints received through the app were among the reasons to shut down the app.

Moreover, the civic body even floated tenders to run this app, but not many entities showed their interest to work for the corporation over this project.

Sanjeev Bittu, Congress leader in the MC, said he and his party had raised questions over the app even at the time of its launch as it was done in a haphazardly manner without any planning on the ground.

“The poor redress of grievances forwarded through the app was quite evident as the officials hardly addressed the complaints brought before them manually,” he said.

Bittu added that though such a system is quite useful and time-saving, but the corporation should have first streamlined the working of its departments and their staff, besides making a detailed plan to run such app for the convenience of the people.

Mayor Amarinder Bajaj said they had to drop the app, after the company, which prepared it, left the work in between over some issues.

“The government had hired the company on its own and it developed the app ffree of cost. But, it left the work half way after we raised questions related to the failure to register and receive complaints through the app,” Bajaj said.

He added that the civic body have floated tenders to restart the project and the work order was allotted to a new company, but it too failed to start the work till date.

Working of the app

Under app, one could file the complaint along with a picture to the corporation. The location about the complaint and the site will automatically be detected by the system with the help of Google maps, following which it will be sent to the officials concerned for handling the complaint. The system was fully interactive as it kept alerting the complainant about the status of his complaint via SMS and email right from the time his complaint reached the MC officials concerned and to whom the complaint has been assigned.